An undertone of cardamom makes the woody, almost caramelized flavour of maple syrup shine. Here the pair are combined in a simple, no-churn ice cream. The clincher is a brittle chocolate lid that you crack through with a spoon to reach the luscious, velvety smoothness beneath. As an optional extra, add a few drops of cardamom extract to the molten chocolate to amp up the flavour without disrupting its texture. To make your own cardamom extract, lightly crush a handful of green cardamom pods and put in a jar. Cover with vodka, leave for 3 days, then strain. (And do try it in a simple sponge cake in place of vanilla).
Ingredients
- Heavy Cream 150 ml
- Evaporated Milk 75 ml
- Maple Syrup 75 ml
- Green Cardamom Pods 3, seeds ground
- Best Dark Chocolate (70%) 90 g
- Sea Salt Flakes (optional)
Cook It
- The day before serving, use an electric whisk to whip the cream, evaporated milk, maple syrup, and ground cardamom together for a few minutes until the mixture thickens a little and becomes airy.
- Pour into six small freezer-proof ramekins or glasses. Freeze.
- The next day, or after at least 5 hours once the ice cream has set, melt the chocolate. Break into pieces and put in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Leave to cool before spooning over the ice cream pots in even layers. Return to the freezer for about 5 minutes to set.
- Serve scattered with flaky sea salt, if desired.
Spice Switch
The maple ice cream would pair well with a dash of any of cinnamon, vanilla, black pepper, long pepper or allspice.
